Five Cowls to Knit – Which One Is Yours?

Put your needles down. You don’t really need to knit another scarf this season. Instead, get started on that cowl project that you have always wanted to try. Not sure which one to choose? We’re here for you! Our editorial staff is shouting out five cowls to knit – with differences in finished size, gauge and yarn. There’s enough variety to pique your interest and that of your needles. You’re welcome.

Once you have finished the cast-on and memorized the simple stitch patterns, you can easily knit this cowl while watching movies or chatting with friends. Pick a soft fingering-weight yarn that feels great on your hands, because you’ll be working with it for a while. This scarf can handle just about any color, including a tonal or subtly variegated yarn.

The Ramona Phoenix Cowl brings a classic motif from the Summer of Love into the present day. Ramona Phoenix is a great introduction to colorwork, as it only uses two yarns but—thanks to a gradient yarn—includes multiple colors. Both yarns are 100% wool, making this cowl a great transitional accessory as the weather gets colder and then warmer (and then possibly cold again!).

Bold jewel tones are a great addition to any wardrobe for any season. Heighten the bright by using the gradient yarn (Plymouth Yarn Gina) as the background. Or use the solid yarn (Plymouth Yarn Galway Chunky) as the background for a more muted effect.

This cowl from Interweave Knits Winter 2017 is a fast, easy project with impressive results. Designer Joni Coniglio worked this cowl in Brooklyn Tweed Quarry, a bulky-weight yarn that is entirely American-made, from raising the sheep all the way through the spinning and dyeing. Strongly contrasting colors, such as Moonstone and Hematite provided in the kit here, make a bold look.

The cowl itself is worked in a deceptively simple stitch pattern; the distinct design is made using slipped stitches, so only one color is used per row—no need to strand the yarns or juggle two balls at the same time! Between the bulky yarn and fun, fast stitch pattern, you can knit this cowl in no time at all.

From our special edition Spin + Knit, the Stone & Fire Cowl was designed by Amy Tyler. Amy’s take on the twistiness of energized singles changes a simple knit-purl stitch pattern into a gentle three-dimensional topography. The result is a charming reversible cowl that looks complicated but is surprisingly simple in its making. The final flourish is bringing this simple rectangle together with two pairs of buttons to form a stylish and reversible cowl.

Oh yeah, did we forget to mention there’s a catch to this particular cowl? You will start with 8oz of Wooly Wonka Fibers, 80% Merino and 20% silk combed top in ruby mountains gradient. Ya gotta spin it to win it, kids.

We cannot get enough of the Happy Jack – our happiest cowl of the past year! The vibrant SweetGeorgia Yarns Superwash Worsted is an Interweave-specific colorway, which means you can only get it in our kit. The light variegation plays well against the allover drop stitch cable pattern without detracting from it. The Superwash Merino is also a wonderfully soft, and easily washable, choice for a piece with the potential to be worn a lot.

If that doesn’t stir up some happiness, the extra bonus to this item is that it looks good on both men and women. We shot if for knitscene Handmade on Matt, our favorite male model. Sara Dudek modeled it for the kit packaging. Who do you think wears it best – Matt, Sara, or YOU?